Animal hopple



Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

means EnsimY HERMAN, or rammelen, Iowa* ANIMIAL HOPPLE.,

Application ined necember'v', 1922. yserial' Na. 6o5,415.

To all whom it may concern: Y v

Be it known that I, EDGAR HERMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson, and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal l-Iopples, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to animal hopples, and more particularly to hopples used when milking cows. s l

An object of the inventionris to provide a hopple, which when attached to the cbws legs will prevent the cow from kicking, and at the same time securelyhold they cows tail and prevent `switching thereof.

Another obj ect is to provide a hopple that can be readily applied and which maybe adjusted to hopple the cow to a greater or less degree.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim, reference be-V ing had to the accompanying drawings in whichi 'Y I Figure 1, is a perspective viewA showing the device applied to the hind legs of a cow,

Figure 2, is a view showing relative position of parts when in use.

Figure 3, is a perspective View of the device detached from the cow,

Figure 4, is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view showing a detail of the tail clamp,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing connection of a clevis` VReferring to the drawings it will be seen that the device comprises a pair of shackles 10 and ll'rmade of cast or: pressed steel or other metal" and formed to the shape of the cows hooks, the general form of the body portion of each shackle being hookshaped, the. outer members of the shackles being slightly longer than the inner members.

The shackles are curved on their inner surface which will prevent a sharp or rough bearing upon the cows hocks. j

At the free end of the outer member of each of the shackles at the outer side thereof a pair of tubular eyes 12 are formed and in these tubular eyes is journalled turned ends 16 of the armsof one of the openV clevises 13 or 14, which may be made of wire with one end secured to the outer member of one of the other end contracted as at 15.

One end of a light chain 17V is secured to the contracted end of clevis13, thischain then passing through the clevis 14, as shown the shackles the manner described, and Y' in Figure 3, the free end of this chain being p provided with a large ring 18.

Upon the shackle 11, and extending out wardly therefrom nearthe bent portion eis a rigid projection 19 having teeth or serratio-ns 19a upon one face, and each of which clevises constitutes one jaw of-'a clamp. Upon the same side of this shackle 11, is pivotally mounted a finger piece 20 constituting the other jaw of the clamp, and havingV a toothed or serrated face 20a opposing thetoothed face 192L of the other jaw 19; the movable jawvbeing controlled by. a spring 21 which is practically concealed by the nger piece.

It will be noted that the chain 17 is per-V manently connected by a link 17a at one end to the clevis 13, and while the chain can pass freely through the wider portion of the clevis 14 it will be prevented Vfrom being pulled therefrom by the large ring 18 at the free end of the chain. y 5

ln operation the shackle 10 is placed on the right leg of the cow over the hook; the chain 17 is then passed forwardly around the front part of the leg with thechain en-Y tirely free from the leg, as indicated in Figure 2, and acrossrthe'front part of the left leg so that shackle 11 can be appliedto the been done, the operator pulls on the chain 17 by means of ring 18, while the chain is in the wider portion of the clevis 14, andthus `draws the legs o-f the cow together, as close The clamp Yon outside o-f shackleV 11 v isl for the purpose of holdingthe cows tail, and when the shackles have been applied as just described, the movable jaw 20' is opened by pressure on the rlinger piece, the cows'rtail placed in between the-jaws, and vwhen releasing the pressure the spring 21 causes the movable jaw to grip the cows tail holding it securely from switching. From the above it will be clearly yunderstood that a simple, cheap and eiicient-'def left leg in proper location; after thisrhas Vice has been provided which Will prevent the annoyance due to upsetting the milk pail by kicking, and Will also securely hold the cows tail and prevent switching of the same.

Vhat I claim is:

In a device of the character described,` a substantially hook-shaped shackle 'having the inner surface thereof smooth, one of 10 the side members of 'the shackle being' longer being in alignment*transversely of the shackle, and e clevishaving the inturnedend 15 portions of the arms thereof journal-lied in said tubular eyes, said clevis having ar relatively narrow free enel portion' adapted to engage with the links of a chain.

EDGAR HERMAN. 

